Update -Airship lndustrie’s Skyship 500

The Skyship 500 first flew in September 1981 and received its British CAA certification with less than 180 hours flying time. Handling of the airship, even in heavy weather, is akin to that of a boat or large helicopter. Indeed some of the flight tests were deliberately flown in winds exceeding 50 kts! The Skyship design does away with the weighty traditional zeppelin-type metal frame, the shape of the envelope being maintained by an overpressure of 5 millibars. Helium is contained in a number of sealed tanks and ballast of sand or water can be shifted in flight to provide CG control.

From the start of the programme, the creators of Airship Industries set out to provide a solution to problems not fully satisfied by the capabilities of fixed-wing aircraft or large helicopters, the classic objective being to produce a long endurance low radar signature maritime patrol craft able to go with the fleet and remain on station for long periods of time in the fashion of a typical warship. To this end, the hostilities in the Falklands provided a vivid example of how useful such a fully developed ASW/AEW airship would have been to the Royal Navy fleet.

While Skyship 500 is basically considered a Research and Development aircraft Airship Industries is pressing ahead with a slightly larger craft designated model 600 which will have passenger accommodation for 24 persons and would be ideally suited to the specialised tourist/sightseeing role or intracity commuter runs. Already a Greek shipping line, Interport Maritime Ltd, has ordered one model 500 and two 600s in a contract valued at $A9 million.

The long term aim of the company is, however, to produce the large model 5000. This airship would be conceived for the blue water ASW/AEW role and be powered by a mix of Astazou turboprops and turbocharged diesel engines for long-range loiter patrols. The Model 5000, for instance, could escort a convoy across the Atlantic and provide around the clock all- weather Airborne Early Warning. This would take the pressure off the hard-pressed carrier escort and with rumours of a future air-to-air role for the supersonic long-range Soviet Backfire would seem prudent insurance in getting the convoy across the Atlantic in the safest possible manner. As the airship has an extremely low radar signature it would be able to operate with relative safety once out of range of primary land-based air defence fighters though the airship itself could be given an adequate self-defence capability by the addition of a radar-guided missile in the Amraam class.

So what of the future?

The US Navy has already entered a long-term lease agreement to evaluate a Skyship 500 in the ASW role and the Royal Navy is also conducting a study into the possibility of utilising the 5000 in the AEW role. It is too early to say that the airship may be back in uniform again but the advent of micro-electronics and the use of safe helium gas in place of hydrogen may well bring us back to the age of the airship.